The natural aortic ring is a fibromuscular structure which is able to expand in each cardiac cycle. It has a sigmoid shape made up of three commissural summits and three nadirs corresponding to the point of insertion of the aortic valvules.
Insufficiency of the aortic valvules generally requires reparative surgery. This is particularly so in the case of dystrophic valvular insufficiency, for example annuloaortic ectasia, isolated valvular dysplasia, or bicuspid aortic valve disease.